Triple Conversion Array Detector for Mass Spectrometry

A multichannel array detector for mass spectroscopy with a novel configuration is proposed. A triplconversion approach is used whereby incident ions are used to generate secondary electrons which strwhich produces optical photons. The photons are detected with an imaging charge coupled device (COD)cooled, slow scan mode to reduce readout noise. The detector is expected to have far greater dynamicresolution that the conventional microchannel plate intensifier and photodiode array detector configdynamic range will allow this detector to be used in applications where high dynamic range signals asuch as gas chromatography - mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). The higher spatial resolution will permit dewider mass window for a given physical detector size and spectrometer focal plane size.